Would you agree with my title? Its been too long for something to happen. Have i found it? I believe i have.
For too long i have been sticking to my self reliant stupid and radical principles... Telling myself every so and so that principles are everything. To this day, i believe it to be true, but i would like to add an exception. All my life, i've been trying to rationalize everything i do. To some certain extent, the very foundation of my love for someone else was built on my self rationalization. The fact is... nothing about it is rational :) Haha... but this is not the purpose of this text. By making my point... i realise my mistakes and have let go of my stubborness and embrace a new future with high hopes and expectations. You know... let me disclose something to you all... before i left for Hong Kong, someone said something to me. This is someone i respect a lot, my teacher and my friend. She said, 'You'll find what you need to find in Hong Kong, go out there and find what you want, what you've always been missing. Just remember to come back and tell me about it,' and she smiled. For some time... i did not understand what she meant, and i sort of disregarded it, stored it somewhere up my head and forgot about it. All until recently....
Life here has been great... To be perfectly honest, i have not really felt homesick. Maybe its just because i've been here for only 1 month and a half. Maybe its just because i wanted to escape my life back in Malaysia. Maybe i needed to see something new. One of the reasons why i decided to stay back during my holidays is because... for some part in me, i don't really wanna go back. I said officially that the reason i stayed back is because i wanted to take up extra courses so i can graduate faster, but the fact is... some part in me, i don't wanna come back during my university life. Ever since day one i've stood on Hong Kong ground, i've told myself that this is where i wanna be, this is where i want my family to be. That was what i thought to be the right thing to do anyways.
So far... my uni life has been fulfilling and hectic :) Joined rotaract, got selected into the badminton U-team, gathered a team to take part in a business proposal writing competition, toastmasters public speaking competition, planning on a service trip to Sichuan for 1 week during winter and so on.... At the moment... i've been doing well in my studies as well :) Having 3 mid terms in 1 week 2 weeks from now, and i'm currently finishing an essay for one of my sociology classes. Haven't been sleeping a lot lately, less than 20 hours per week. I keep telling myself to sleep before 2am everyday... but i eventually go past the limit and sleep less and less everyday. I know its bad, and i'll try my best to rectify this problem i'm having, i don't wanna have health problems at this age, thats for sure :P
Now then... perhaps the thing that all of you have been hoping to hear from me. As you may or may not have noticed... whether on facebook or MSN, i have changed my display picture yeah? :) Before you come to conclusions, i want to state clearly that we're very close friends. But... to be truly honest? We're friends who hold hands, hug and talk about the future. The reason why we're called 'friends'? Well... she is honoring her promise to her parents that she won't have a BF before 21. I respect her promise, and we're both friends... for now. Go take a look at my MSN name now, scroll all the way to the back and you might notice a countdown. Be a smart person and guess what is the countdown for :) Anyways... we've had a lot of fun together. I know for a fact we love each other a lot, you might think that i'm saying this too early, but i don't give a heck. 1 month is too fast? Well, i won't deny that, and i probably won't try to explain it either. We love each other. Period. You know.. being with her? everything seems to pass by so quickly... i wish that our time together would be much much more, but there just isn't enough!!
I am blessed by knowing her. We had our ups and downs and at one point we almost called it. But the both of us just couldn't bear to do it, and we made compromises to keep our relationship. I've waited so long anyway... whats another 2 years and a few months right? I would never forgive myself if i gave this all up.... One other thing... we have a lot of things in common :) Sounds kind of funny and stupid... haha, but we're both the type of person who likes to think about the future. I'll leave it up to your imagination on what exactly did we talk about, but it sure was sweet and reassuring :) Let me say this everyone, i made a decision the other night. I made her my responsibility. The fact that she let me do so was an extra blessing for me :) The joy of being able to do things for her, to care for her, and to have her care in return? No words can possibly express what i feel :) Blessed beyond words.... haha....
I know you people would have plentyful to say about this... haha... especially about the decision i made. Whichever it is, i just want all of you to know, I am happy :) Look forward to my homecoming, i can't wait to introduce her to the rest of you. My wishes to all of you :) (Back to my essay for now, submission in 3 days and i've only written 1 paragraph, OUCH!!)
EMERGENCY FESTIVAL! Thu 16 to Sun 26 Oct 2008 The Annexe Gallery, Central Market Annexe Exact dates and times for specific events below.
EMERGENCY FESTIVAL! is an 11-day explosion of history, images, narratives and sounds from the first Malayan Emergency from 1948-1960.
With an eclectic mix of Malaysia’s dynamic creative personalities, the festival cuts across multiple genres and presents new perspectives, offering up an intriguing re-examination and creative storytelling of the Malayan Emergency.
Participants include Amir Muhammad, Azmyl Yunor, chi too, Chu Chu Yuan, Elaine Pedley, Fahmi Fadzil, Fahmi Reza, Grey Yeoh, Hardesh Singh, Hari Azizan, Jerome Kugan, Leow Puay Tin, Lim Chung Wei, Marion D’Cruz, Mark Teh, Mislina Mustaffa, Norman Teh, Wong Tay Sy and many more.
The project comprises 2 theater performances, 2 film screenings, an exhibition, plus an exciting roll of different presentations, performances and participatory events daily.
All events are free except for the theater performances.
12 YEARS Thu 16 to Sun 26 Oct 2008, 11am to 5pm Curated by Wong Tay Sy, Norman Teh and Grey Yeoh
“The victor writes the history while the loser fades away….” Is that always true? Challenging this notion along with new ways of presenting history without being preachy, one-sided and linear, this multi-angled exhibition focuses on contextualising visual materials from the Malayan Emergency within our contemporary framework. It offers an alternative and interactive approach to presenting history, and offers often unheard rakyat-centric experiences of the Emergency.
THEATRE PERFORMANCES
OPERASI OKTOBER Thu 16 to Sun 19 Oct 2008, 8.30pm Directed by Fahmi Fadzil Performed by Janet Moo Tein Ni, Lim Chung Wei, Mislina Mustaffa & Mohammad Hariry.
Fresh from being in the winning ensemble of ‘Best Group Performance’ at the 6th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, Fahmi Fadzil directs a performance that looks at the beginning of the Emergency where: "Over a series of encounters, four people meet in anticipation of a revolution. But they don't know that it has already begun".
NEW VILLAGE PEOPLE Thu 21 to Sat 25 Oct 2008, 8.30pm Sun 26 Oct 2008, 4.00pm Directed by Hari Azizan Performed by chi too, David Xaxier, Lau Mengq Yek, Renita Che Wan & Tan Zi Hao.
Hari Azizan, director of the much publicised “Vagina Monologues” brings us a story where “the lives of two good friends change forever when they are forced to leave everything behind by the British army and start afresh in a New Village during the Malayan Emergency.”
FILM SCREENINGS
REVOLUSI ‘48 Mon 20 to Sat 25 Oct 2008, 8.30pm Sun 26 Oct 2008, 4.00pm Directed by Fahmi Reza
The sequel to the highly successful “Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka”, "Revolusi ‘48" chronicles the largely forgotten armed revolution for national liberation launched against British colonial rule in Malaya 60 years ago. The documentary tells the untold story of those who struggled in the anti-colonial guerrilla war of independence, during the Malayan Revolution of 1948.
10 TAHUN SEBELUM MERDEKA Mon 20 Oct 2008, 8.00pm Directed by Fahmi Reza
This cult favourite will be specially screened again on 20 October 2008, the 61st anniversary of the Malaya-wide Hartal against the undemocratic Federation of Malaya Constitutional Proposals devised by the British colonial regime.
RE: SEARCH RE: SOURCE Thu 16 to Sun 26 Oct 2008, (for event times, please refer to Calendar in Photo Gallery below) Curated by Mark Teh
"Re:Search Re:Source" features some of Malaysia’s foremost creative personalities presenting their personal research, and interpreting the arts, images and themes of the Emergency years - proving that Sejarah can be highly creative, participatory and relevant.
These presentations include:
1. Documentarian Fahmi Reza presents "Sekolah Revolusi Malaya", a daily lecture series on the social history of the forgotten Malayan Revolution of 1948.
2. Dancer-choreographers Marion D’Cruz & Elaine Pedley provide a demonstration-discussion of Communist propaganda dances.
3. Singer-songwriter and poet Jerome Kugan is the DJ for 2 nights of "Disko Darurat"!
4. Curator Seng Yu Jin presents on "Art During The Emergency". Reproduced publications from the personal collection of art researcher Koh Nguang How will be made available for browsing.
5. A reading of the entire transcript of the 1955 Baling Talks will be staged.
6. Playwright Leow Puay Tin curates a selection of texts related to Merdeka, written and performed by public intellectuals Azmi Sharom, Mavis Puthucheary and Tricia Yeoh.
7. Visual artist Chu Chu Yuan of 1948 Artspace talks about the Entry Points art projects in the New Village community of Seri Kembangan, Serdang.
8. Singer-songwriter Azmyl Yunor creates and performs new songs inspired by the Emergency era. He’ll be backed by Alia Ali, Aziz Ali and Ryan Lee Bhaskaran.
9. Filmmaker Imri Nasution examines the parallel developments of the studio-era Malay film industry & the Emergency.
10. Writer-filmmaker Amir Muhammad provides alternative readings of films made from 1948-1960 ("Matahari", 1951 & "Mogok", 1957).
11. Composer-new media activist Hardesh Singh will create audio installations using music, sounds & speeches from the Emergency.
12. "We! Will! Wikipedia! The Emergency!"
You too can contribute to the Emergency Festival! You will be provided a 1-hour shift to input your own research (or someone else’s) on Wikipedia.
哈哈，我跟惠元有参与第12项We! Will! Wikipedia! The Emergency!就是我们会在central market那里有家电脑，然后我们会负责将一般历史课本里没提到的真相和历史写在wikipedia里。当然资料是有别人整理的啦，而且是有根据的。:)
